What Is Private Affordable Housing?
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What is private affordable housing?
Private affordable housing is privately owned low-rent housing for low-income families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Private affordable housing developments are owned and operated by private owners, not the government. Funding for private affordable housing comes, in part, from government programs.
In some cases, private housing developers get tax credits from the government to create, rehabilitate, or preserve low-income rental housing. The tax credits reduce debt, so the developers can charge lower rents and still cover their costs. Housing developers who get these tax credits must make a certain percentage of their units affordable to low-income households for a certain number of years. The largest tax credit program for affordable rental housing in Massachusetts is the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit program (LIHTC).
In other cases, housing developers receive grants or other subsidies from the government to help pay rents, building costs, or other expenses. In return, they set aside some apartments for low and moderate-income households and charge low rents.
Who is in charge of private affordable housing?
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), and MassHousing fund and regulate most of the tax credit and subsidy programs. The affordable housing developments are owned and managed by private organizations. Some of these organizations are large for-profit housing developers, and some are small non-profit community development corporations (CDCs).
Where can I find private affordable housing in Massachusetts?
There are many private affordable housing developments in Massachusetts. Some of the developments allow all types of families, and some allow elderly or disabled households only. For a list of affordable apartments in your city or town, see:
You may also call your local public housing agency, regional non-profit housing agency, community development corporation, or community action agency:
For more information, call the Massachusetts Housing Consumer Education Centers toll-free at 1-800-224-5124.
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